Tight lock car coupler



Oct. 18, 1949. H. E. VAN DORN 2,435,337

TIGHT LOCK CAR COUPLER Filed April '15, 1946 4 Shee'ts-Sheet l 27/671 5011-. Maw X54 1 fiarncg Oct. 18, 1949. H. E. VAN DORN TIGHT LOCK CAR COUPLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1946 M43112? W4". MW

flff

' Oct. 18, 1949 H. E. VAN DORN TIGHT LOCK CAR COUPLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 15, 1946 Oct. 18, 1949 VAN DQQRN I 2,485,337

TIGHT LOCK CAR COUPLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 15, 1946 Patented Oct. 18, 1949 TIGHT LOCK CAR COUPLER Herbert E. Van Dorn, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Dornvan Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Application April 15, 1946, Serial No. 662,255

8 Claims. 1

In my prior Patent 2,209,365, there is disclosed a novel means for mounting and controlling the swinging locking dog or block of a car coupler of the tight-lock type; the dog in one coupler being automatically tightened against the hook-like nose of a companion coupler and automatically adjusting itself to compensate for wear; and the pressure between the nose and the cooperating dog being released, for uncoupling, by shifting the dog bodily away from the nose before swinging it into its unlocking position.

The object of the present invention is to simplify and improve the construction and operation of the car coupler of the aforesaid patent.

The various features of novelty whereby the present invention is characterized will hereinafter he pointed out with particularity in the appended claims; but, for a full understanding of the invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a car coupler embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front View of the same; Fig. 3 is a section on a somewhat larger scale, on a horizontal plane, of a like coupler turned end for end with respect to the coupler of Fig. 1, so as to adapt it to interlock with the latter, the parts being in the normal idle or uncoupled positions; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing only a fragment of the coupler, together with the nose of a second coupler that is tightly coupled thereto; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the locking dog latched in its release position, so that the two couplers may pull apart from each other; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 5, showing the parts in the positions occupied at the moment that the latch for the dog is being tripped by the retreating nose of the second coupler, and parts of the upper flange on the locking dog and the piston rod for turning it in one direction bein broken away; Figs. 7 and 8 are sections on lines l'l and 88 of Fig. 4, respectively, the locking dog and its immediate operating means being shown in elevation; Fig. 9 is a view of the immediate actuator for the dog removed from the coupler, with the hinge pin for the same and the dog in the same position relative to the actuator that it has in the assembled coupler; and Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the locking dog, removed from the coupler.

In the drawings there is illustrated a hollow coupler head I which has at the front end, on one side of the longitudinal center, a hook-like nose 2 provided on one side with a fiat, laterally inclined front face 3 adapted to engage with a correspondingly inclined face 4 in a companion coupler; face 4 being on the opposite side of the longitudinal center of the head and being wholly in the interior of the latter. Within the head, directly behind the face 4, and in registration with an. opening or window 5 in such face, is a locking dog 6 in the form of a heavy steel block. The face 3 of the nose contains a window I so placed that it creates a face 8 that is on the back side of the nose parallel to the longitudinal axis of the coupler.

The locking dog is mounted on one end on a hinge pin 9 which in turn extends through and is journalled in two eccentric bearing blocks l0 and II rotatably supported in the top and bottom walls of the coupler head. Broadly speaking, parts l-H are old, being found in the construction disclosed in my aforesaid patent. The upper eccentric ID has at the bottom a flangelike part I 2 in the form of a wide, flat radial arm of considerable length. There is a similar flange cr'arm l2 on the upper end of the lower eccentric; the two eccentrics with their arms being alike; one being simply turned up side down relative to each other. In the outer end of each of these arms is a wide, deep notch M. The height of the lockin block is less than the distance between the eccentrics, leaving space between each eccentric and the blockfor one of the arms of a twoarmed actuator; this actuator comprising a short, heavy vertical bar IE to which are fixed fiat, paddle-like radial arms l6 provided near their free ends with holes through which the shaft 9 extends. The parts are so proportioned that when they are assembled the bar I5 is seated in the notches M in the arms on the eccentrics. Therefore, when the bar is swung about the hinge pin, it causes both eccentrics to turn with it. The locking dog also has flanges or flat, radial arms, H and I8, projecting therefrom, one above the other, at the top and bottom of the dog. The arms or flanges on the dog are provided with notches l9 in their outer ends; these notches being wider and usually a little deeper than the notches M and being so positioned that the bar element iii of the actuator extends through the same. Except that there is a lost motion between them, due to the difference between the widths of notches I4 and I9, the locking dog and the actuator turn together; the effect bein in general the same as in the construction disclosed in the aforesaid patent.

The bar l5 of the actuator'has a rigid, heavy lever arm 20 extending radially therefrom out through an opening 2| in the side wall of the coupler head." There it is connected to a powerful device tending constantly to swing it in the direction to cause the locking dog to move out through window 5 in the front of the coupler, as in Fig. 3. This device comprises a rod 22 connected at its front end to the arm 20 by a hinge pin 24 and extending rearward into a cylindrical casing 25 which contains a long powerful coil spring or springs 26 surrounding and coaxial with the rod. H theirear end of-.'.the..'rod is fixed a disc 21.,that engages with the rear .end ofthe spring means.

In order to move the locking dog in the opposite direction from that in which the spring tends constantly to move it, I provide a pneumaticactuator comprising a cylinder..-23. secured withimthe interior of the coupler headron-ithernoseside of the head; the axis of the cylinder being horizontal and extending diagonallyracross the .interior of the coupler head to'intersect the vertical bar member l5 of the immediateroperating means for the eccentrics and the locking dog. In ;this cylinder :is a piston .29 to which there .is -iastened.a,.piston rod 33. Within thiscylinder, esurrounding -.the* .piston rod, is a compression sspriug :3! that. engages thepiston and=nor-mally :holds.it;-against.the=outer.end-or head of the rcylinder. Normall'yh-with the piston at the outer .end .ofaits. stroke, .the piston rod .or plunger. protrudes so far as to be near the bar l5 of the actuator whenthepartsare intheinnormal, unrcoupled .positions. Upon .adm-itting ,air .under ipressure .into .the ..outer .end of the cylinder, through anlinlet .3.2,..the.piston is forcedtoward the ..inner .end ..of .the ..cylinder, the rod or plunger strikes .bar l5, :and Lthe locking dog is iswunghack through .window '5. into release positionto permitautomatic.uncoupling.

.'A.- suitablellatch. must be, provided 1 to hold the Ilocking idogjnitsreleaseposition.until the uncoupling is completed. For'this purpose I mount vintthe bottompf the..coupler head, in the ,space ,behinjdithelocking dog,.a horizontally swinging Ila-M11234. ,Therear endof the'latch is anchored to the couplerfhead'by. avertical hinge pin.'35 and has atits forward enda lug 36.to.engage with the side of bar l5 when'the locking dog has been moved into releaseposition; the. latch serving as a struttoprevent thebar from being moved by Lthe force constantly; exerted. against iitby spring -'device'lli. "There. is a compression spring Blengaged jwith'therear-edge of the latch at an in- -'termediate point in the length thereof; this spring *ten'dingconstantly tohold? thei latch in its latch- "ingmosition.

The latch mustbe tripped automatically in uncdupling,..so as'to'leave.the coupler in condition "to coupleautomatically'at some subsequenttime. *This is-done by thelockingdog, activated'by. a 'part of the opposing coupler. It will be seen' that :the locking dog has a large: cam 38 projecting from its .forward'jface, the same ibeing alug that-is triangular-as viewed from above. "This cam lies, inward from'thegcarniace 6 ofthe locking'dog "and, therefore; does notin any way interfere with -or -aidin maintaining'atight lock between the couplers. The partsare soproportioned that when the locking *dog islatched in'its release position; as in -Fig. 5; the cam 38 extends out into the path of'th-e'nose o'fthe opposed coupler as it slides along the inclined =face 4 during uncoupling. Consequently the retreating'nose' engages the -carn and forces itback 'behind' the I plane of -face -h-as-in F'igw6. "This is the-movement of the 1 locking tiog that is utilizedf totrip the latch; the tripping being doneby direct contact between the locking 'dog' arrd thetlatch. Itwill :benseen that it'he.latchrhasconztoplthereof, along its front edge (and rabout midwayvbetween itsuends, -a lug 39 which stands clean of -.thedog .when the :dog is brought. into its release position. :Howevenwvhen rthedoglis pushed-back, during uncoupling; as just 4 explained, it strikes the lug and pushes the forward end of the latch clear of bar l5.

In order to limit the forward .swinging movement of the locking dog, when released as just explained, it is provided with an upwardly projecting lug 40 which, as best shown in Fig. '7, strikes against a ledge 4| on the top wall of the -ccupler hea'd when the parts are in normal un- ..co,upled positions.

.-'Ihe.hinge;pin.;9 for the locking dog may conventiently be inserted from above the coupler ,,head, through the bore 42 in which the upper ec- 'centric-'is-seated. The top of this bore is then closed-by a casting 43 held in place by two screws 44, as best shown in Eigs. 7 and 8; a pad of felt A5,..capable of absorbing. a considerable amount of. 011,. beinginterposedbetween this casting and -.theltopsoftheshaftand eccentric. Also, for convenience. in manufacture, the bore .46 ,in the bottom .wall to, receive the lower. eccentric terminates .inasmaller bore section-46 somewhat larger in .diameter thanpin'9. A cylindrical plug H; provided aroundthe top with ajfiange'4'8, is-pressed j into'bore .section '4'6 from above, to form a support'for thelower end of thepin.

It may sometimes. be desired to uncouple manually from the ground. 'I have therefore provided the .outerfree end of arm'-2-0 ofthe'lockingdog actuator with a socket! into which a heavy-rod or the like may-beinserte'd to-permit the locking dog'to be swung 'backinto-release position without making use of the'air cylinder.

When air connections'betweencars are to' be effected'by the--actof -makinga mechanical coupling :between the'cars, suitable air terminal devices=50 may be bolted in place within the coupler "heads about midway between and parallel with the forward, inclined faces '3 and- 4; whereby the --air"terrninals 'in-opposing couplers are brought together by movements which result in -axial alignment thereof when they meet. 'Inthe ar- -rangement-shown, the cylinder 28 and the air coupling unit 50 are provided with large, heavy ears, =5 I and 52,: respectively, which. overlap Leach other andrestron a boss ii l on the coupler head casting,'-withinthe coupler head; a screw :eX- 'tending'through-both of these ears and into the boss. Cylinder 28 may. be further securedzbyzanother flange 56 and screwzfil :and .the'air. coupling :unit by a Ifiangef 58 andscrewi 59; :these .fianges being on. the outside-of a side wallr of ;the coupler 1 head, and the screws entering this wall.

"The operation of the coupler will "be briefly summarized. With theparts of two couplersin "the uncoupled-or idle positions illustrated in,-F,ig.

r3rwhen the couplers come togethenthe nose-.in zeach pushes. the: locking dog ofthe otherzback out of its idle position 1 as: indicated inzaFig. 16, which may be'said .torepresent a stage in eitherea couapling'or an uncoupling operation. 'Itwi1l;be:n0ted .thatiin Fig. 6the bar l5 has not been pushed backifar enough to permitthe latch to drop in :front of the same when'the nose of the opposing coupler slides gpast the locking dog. Therefore into cylinder 28,.,or thellever arm 20 is manually operated, to turn. the. dog back into the.position ,which it.occupies in Fig. 5 the latch dropping into 75, latching position withthe cam 38 on .thedogprojecting into the path which the nose of the opposing coupler must follow when the couplers begin to separate. When such separating movement between the coupler heads begins, the nose of the opposing coupler engages cam 38 and brings about the conditions illustrated in Fig. 6. As previously pointed out, although the latch has now been tripped, it cannot snap back to hold the dog from swinging out to the uncoupled position of Fig. 3 when the couplers are completely separated; this being due to the fact that the dog must be swung back farther to bring it into its release position for uncoupling than is necessary for the purpose of tripping the catch or of swingin the dog out of the way of the nose of a second coupler during automatic coupling.

Every swinging movement of the bar l5 in the clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 36, results in a bodily lengthwise shifting movement of the dog, due to turning of the eccentrics. Therefore, because of the large angle through which the eccentrics in the present construction are caused to turn, the capacity of the coupler automatically to compensate for wear is very great and increased life of the coupler is assured.

It will further be seen that by using a very simple latch and allowing the locking dog to act directly on the same, to unlatch, not only is the initial cost kept low, but there is practically no maintenance cost in connection with the unlatching means.

I claim:

1. The combination with the swinging locking dog in a tight lock car coupler movable from an idle position through a locking position and past a release position, of an actuating member connected with the dog so as to swing therewith while having a limited angular movement relative thereto about their common axis, of a spring tending constantly to move the actuator in the direction to carry the dog to and through the locking position and into its forward idle position, means to turn the actuator in the opposite direction to bring the dog into its release position, a

' latch adapted to engage the actuator in a manner to prevent movement thereof while the actuator is holding the do is the release position, and a part on the dog in position to engage the latch and trip it when the dog is pressed back beyond the release point.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the locking dog has thereon an element that lies in the path of a part of a companion coupler during the separating movements of two couplers and causes the dog to be pushed back beyond its release position and trip the latch.

3. The combination with a car coupler of the tight lock type having a swinging locking dog spring held in a forward idle position and adapted to be pushed back by a second coupler, in the act of coupling and then drop into locking position with respect to the second coupler, and having a device to move the dog from its locking position back to a release position; of an actuator through which both the spring and said device act to move the dog, the actuator being connected to the dog in a manner to provide a small lost motion between the actuator and the dog, a latch in position to engage the actuator when it moves the' dog into the release position and thereby lock the dog in that position, the dog having thereon a part in position to engage the latch and trip the same when the dog is pushed back past the release position, and a cam on the front of the dog to be engaged by a companion coupler both upon the separation and the coupling of the couplers to push the dog back past the release position in coupling.

4. In a car coupler of the tight lock type, a locking dog, a vertical hinge pin extending through one end of the dog, rotatable bearing blocks containing eccentrically disposed openings to receive the ends of the hinge pin, a vertical actuating bar having radial arms extending between the dog and the eccentrics and connected to the hinge pin to permit the bar to swing on the pin, radial arms on the eccentrics and the dog having in their ends notches in which the actuating bar is entered, the notches in the arms on the dog being wider than those in the arms on the eccentrics to provide a lost motion between the actuator and the eccentrics a spring device tending constantly to move the actuating bar in the direction to shift the dog into a forward idle position, a lever arm projecting laterally from the actuating bar to swing it in the direction to bring the dog into a rearward release position, and a latch in position to drop in front of the actuating bar when the latter is holding the dog in the release position.

5. A car coupler as set forth in claim 4, wherein the locking dog has on the front face a cam that projects into the path of a part on a companion coupler when two couplers begin to separate, in uncoupling, and causes the' locking dog to be pushed back a little past its release position, and wherein the dog engages the latch during this latter movement and trips it.

6. A car coupler as set forth in claim 4, Wherein a power-operated plunger moves into engagement with the lever arm to move it in the direction to set the locking dog in the release position and then retreats to leave the dog free to be moved by the spring mean upon tripping of the latch.

7. A car coupler of the tight lock type comprising a head containing a locking dog swingable from a forward idle position back to and somewhat beyond a release position, a spring pressed actuator connected to the dog so as to have a limited movement relative to the same and tending constantly to move the dog into its idle position, a latch in position to engage the actuator when the latter moves the dog into the release position, a cam on the dog in position to be engaged by a part on a companion coupler during uncoupling and force the dog backward from the release position, and said dog having thereon an element that engages the latch when the dog is so pushed back, in uncoupling, and trips the latch.

8. A car coupler as set forth in claim '7 including an uncoupling member movable from a retracted position into engagement with the actuator to force the latter in the direction to shift the dog into its release position.

HERBERT E. VAN DORN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Name Date 1,326,567 Brown Dec. 20, 1919 1,932,091 Stevens Oct. 24, 1933 2,209,365 Van Dorn July 30, 1940 2,214,003 Van Dorn Sept. 10, 1940 2,231,028 Robinson Feb. 11, 1941 2,422,355 Knapp June 17, 1947 

